Protests

As advertised, Scott participated in a panel discussion on the NFL national anthem protests earlier today. The event took place at the University of Minnesota, under the auspices of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Humphrey School. I assume it was scheduled with the Super Bowl in mind, but as far as I could tell it was mostly a local audience. Scott brought badly-needed diversity »

The Washington Post found “experts” (its term in the paper edition) who think so. I don’t (though there must be white racists who are criticizing the kneelers, just as there must be black racists who are praising them). The Post’s experts seize on the fact that some who criticize the kneelers cite the players’ wealth and accuse them of being ungrateful. For example, Newt Gingrich said that players should be »

The latest on the National Anthem controversy in the National Football League: Vice-President Pence attended the Indianapolis Colts game today to see Peyton Manning’s jersey retired. (Indiana is, of course, Pence’s home state, where he served as governor.) But Pence walked out when a handful of players refused to stand for the Anthem: Vice President Mike Pence has left the 49ers-Colts game after about a dozen San Francisco players took »

Colin Kaepernick has received favorable publicity for pledging $1 million in charitable donations. But according to the Washington Times, $25,000 of that money has been donated to an outfit called Assata’s Daughters, which is named after former Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur. Assata Shakur was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1973 shooting death of New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster. He was sentenced to life in prison, but »

As I argued yesterday, the Washington Redskins “won off the field” (as well as on it!) Sunday with their approach to the playing of the National Anthem. Though it grieves me as a Redskins fan to admit it, I think the Dallas Cowboys also won in this respect last night. Rich Lowry writes: Last night, the Cowboys kneeled before the anthem and then stood when it was played. This seems »

I’ve been a Washington Redskins fan since 1958. I almost never miss a Redskins game and rarely watch NFL regular season games that don’t involve the Redskins. However, if the Redskins had refused to come out on the field during the playing of the National Anthem or if most the team had taken a knee while the Anthem was played, I think I would have ended my 60 year relationship »

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did a press briefing today. She began by talking about several items the White House is working on. Here is the first sentence or two on each topic that she raised in her remarks: On the economic front, this week, the President will continue his push to secure tax relief for hardworking American families. … We are pleased to announce that the President will be traveling »

The Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the violence that occurred in Charlottesville yesterday. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said: The violence and deaths in Charlottesville strike at the heart of American law and justice. When such actions arise from racial bigotry and hatred, they betray our core values and cannot be tolerated. I have talked with FBI Director Chris Wray, FBI agents on the scene, and law »

As Scott has noted, President Trump has come under fire for not singling out white supremacists for condemnation following the violent clashes in Charlottesville. Trump has made several statements about those events, both orally and on Twitter. He condemned “in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.” He added: “It’s been going on for a long time in our »

Bowdoin College government professor Jean Yarbrough takes up the case of Bowdoin College philosophy professor Sarah Conly in the RCP column “Zero calories to zero population.” In her RCP column Professor Yarbrough responds to Professor Conly’s New York Times column “Three cheers for the nanny state,” defending Mayor Bloomberg’s attempt to ban supersize sodas within his jurisdiction. I think it’s fair to say that Professor Yarborough gives Professor Conly three »

The Democrats continue to try to make political hay out of the Trayvon Martin case. The Hill reports that House Democrats–all members of the Congressional Black Caucus–are proposing a package of legislative “reforms” arising out of the Martin case: In the wake of the slaying of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, House Democrats are drafting legislation designed to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Actually, there are plenty of laws in »

In our early, scruffier days we liked to cover nude political protests of various kinds. There were quite a few of them at that time–mostly anti-war; a few anti-patriarchy; and, on one memorable occasion, pro-fox hunting. Naked protesting has mostly died out, but it has been brought back, over the last year or two, by a Ukrainian group called Femen. Femen is distinguished by the fact that its members are »